Edlyn and her Military Friends
by CheetahLover101
Summary: Edlyn Elric, along with many other prodigies have been 'asked' to join a group for safe keeping, all under the protection of one Colonel Roy Mustang. Join them all on their many adventures across Amestris. AU, Pairings yet to be known. Fem!Edward, Older Alphonse. Mix of Anime and Manga Characters.
1. Golden Eyed Siblings

(**A/N: This is my very first story, please go easy on me! I am new to this whole computer crap to, so i might have issues, please bare with me! Anyway, this is AU and that. please point out if you find any errors or things that don't make sense!**

This was going to be the worst day ever, she could tell. She just knew it. As Ed and her Big brother Alphonse headed towards central, the closer they got the worse she felt. Nervous and jumpy, like something bad would pop out and knock on her head, saying 'should've listened to your instincts'. And that is something she didn't want to happen, not again.

Edlyn and Alphonse Elric sent for from central and known for their knowledge of alchemy at a young age. Rumors of the golden haired siblings could be heard in almost every town in Amestris. They, along with other well heard of prodigies, have been called forth to be 'protected' by the Amestrian Military. But most people knew they were going to be used more than protected. And that is the main reason Ed didn't want to go. Her elder brother thought the same, but there was little they could do when asked by Fuhrer King Bradley himself. And so the Elric siblings had no choice but to be used as weapons at the simple age of 15 and 17.

Ed sighed as she walked alongside her brother on the sidewalks that lead to Central City's Military Headquarters. They had just arrived by train, having to leave their small village of Resembool. The younger blonde slowed her step until she was behind her brother, the height difference quite noticeable. Once she was far enough behind she called out to Alphonse.

"Hey Al, heads up!" When she was sure Alphonse was aware, she made a small dash and jumped onto his back. Al hooked his arms around and under her knees, while Ed wrapped her arms around his neck. She smiled as Al gave a small chuckle.

"Ed, you do realize how weird this looks when you're on a crowded sidewalk, right?" he looked back at her while continuing their walk to the large building. She shrugged the best she could while in that position.

"Why should I care? It's not like we're out to make a good impression. And besides, no one knows who we even are." But then a small smirk placed itself on her face. "Yet, that is." That caused Alphonse to chuckle once more, but this time it was more of a nervous chuckle. He knew what that smirk meant, and it didn't mean anything good. Well, good for Ed maybe. But it never meant good news for those around her.

As her elder sibling walked, Ed took the time to look around. Intense golden eyes mapped their route and all the stores around. She would be living here from now on, so why not be done with memorizing it, right? She found a clothing store which she made a mental note to check out later. They didn't have much except for the things on their backs. They had left their luggage with military personal, them saying that they would take it to where they were staying. But there wasn't much luggage to begin with, only about 3 more sets. They didn't have much for money after all. But since she couldn't walk around in her black leather pants, black tank top, black combat boots, white gloves and red jacket all the time, or her brother in blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and black jacket with his brown shoes, they are in desperate need of more things. The one good thing about working for the military after all, was the pay.

While Ed was planning all this in her head, Alphonse was thinking about a completely different matter. The main thing was him keeping his baby sister safe. He wasn't about to let her get herself hurt. And even if she didn't notice all the stares from the male population she was getting, he certainly did. Her long golden hair pulled up into a high ponytail and her stunning gold eyes with long lashes looking around easily caught attention. And there was no way on earth Al was going to let anyone lay a finger on her.

Al sighed as their destination came into view. Don't get him wrong, it was a large building that was pretty shocking compared to the small houses in the village back home, but it was also the place that they now worked at. It was huge and gray and had large flags hanging from the roof on each side, green with Amestris' symbol of a dragon. He may keep his musings silent, but he was now looking forward to the faces he would get when carrying his sister around a military base. It was bound to be amusing. He chuckled inwardly and added a bounce to his step, getting Ed up in an easier hold. This made Ed giggle, a sound Alphonse loved, for it was a rare noise his sister made. They got to the front gate and showed the letter from the Fuhrer for permission to go in. The guard nodded and they were on their way.

"Hey Alphonse, who do you think is in charge of all of us being roped into the military? We know it's a colonel, and that there is only a hand full more like us, but don't you wonder if he'll be able to handle all of us?" While asking, she had placed her head on his shoulder, causing them to be cheek to cheek. Alphonse shrugged as he started up the front steps with ease even with his load.

"He'll have people from his unit to help him out too you know. It's not like it's him against multiple teens all by himself."

Ed gave a small 'hm' before she replied "I suppose that makes sense. I mean, we'll be trouble enough. I can't wait until we get to meet our team mates. It sounds like it will be fun with others our age. Just hope there won't be bullies or anything cliché like that." She says the last part with a small laugh. Alphonse simply shook his head.

"What do you mean by 'we'? You're the one that causes all the trouble. You just like to rope your innocent big brother into things." He said all this with anything but innocent smirk on his face which made Ed roll her eyes at him with a smile.

By the time they got to the front door Alphonse had a huge grin on his face. Ed still had her chin on his shoulder, their heads close together. When like that, the similarities and differences were crystal clear. Ed's hair was bright gold, while Alphonse had a bit more of a sandy tint to it. The younger of the two mostly had her hair up in a ponytail or in a braid, with her bangs going down to her chin with a small cow lick/antenna stuck out in between the parting. Al just had his cut short and it stylishly messy. And while Alphonse had green/gold eyes, Ed's had a pure gold color to them.

They walked through the front door as casually as you can while in the position they were in. And oh, how the elder was right about the reactions. It was like they were being thrown a curve ball after 10 normal pitches. But while Al was enjoying the reactions, Ed was reminded of why she felt so bad earlier. Everywhere you looked, there was blue. The uniforms and the stiff postures were sickening to Ed. _Will the people taking care of us be this stiff and uptight? I mean, come on, it's like the lot of them have sticks up their asses._ She thought. Ed sighed, she sure hoped not; otherwise this was going to be boring as hell.

Then Ed, being herself, got off topic in her mind in the most random way…_ Even though I don't believe in heaven or hell, that saying makes no sense. How does someone find hell boring? I mean its hell. With all those stories of burning in fire, wouldn't you be anything but bored? _

With the younger so deep in her… odd thoughts, Al kept walking. They got to the stairs and many had to stare at how easily he once again walked up them with that girl on his back. They were soldiers, but come on! Al went up and up until they got to the third floor. They were almost to the room they were told to go to. Once Ed was out of her musings, and Al done with his fun; showing off, they could both feel the nervousness come back. They had absolutely no idea of what could be beyond that door.

Alphonse stopped in front of the closed door and took a deep breath, jumping again to get Ed higher on his back. He looked behind him to see that she was already looking at him. When she saw she had his attention she put on a reassuring smile and tightened her hold around him. He smiled back and turned the handle with one hand, still holding onto Ed with the other.

They walked into an office that was pretty big. In front of them across the big room was a desk that sat in the middle of a large window. To the right of them was a cluster of smaller desks, to the left was an area that looked like a living room. It had two couches, a coffee table in between them, and then by a fireplace in the wall sat a few recliners. The walls were cream colored and the floor was a dull pea green color. While the siblings were looking around, the man behind the main desk stood, catching their attention with the movement.

"Hello, are you two the Elric siblings?" he stepped around the desk walked towards them. He was around the same height as Alphonse, if not an inch taller. He had deep midnight blue eyes and dark black hair that was flat yet somehow messy at the same time. He had this smile that looked suspiciously like a smirk. That rubbed Ed the wrong way, making her glare at the man. Without even waiting for an answer, he continued. "I'm Roy Mustang and I am in charge of all the prodigies in the new group. It is nice to meet you." He held out his hand and Al shook it, holding Ed single handed again. Ed noticed his gloves and that he had alchemy arrays on them.

"Nice to meet you sir, I am Alphonse and-" He was cut off by Ed pushing herself up with her hands on Al's shoulders, bending over him. She reached out and took Mustang's hand out of her brother's, turning it over so she could see the array better. She noticed that is was a very complex fire alchemy circle.

"You aren't just a Colonel, are you?" Ed asked, still looking at his glove. "I'm guessing you're a state alchemist. Why else would you have arrays on your gloves? And since there is only one alchemist that specializes in fire, I would say you're the Flame alchemist, right?" she then looked up at him, her golden eyes strong and confident. She was satisfied that she saw some shock on his face, though it was gone in a flash and hidden by a smirk. She let go of his hand and jumped off Al's back, standing by her brother.

"Yes, I am the Flame alchemist. You observe your surroundings pretty well." Ed simply shrugged her shoulders and continued to look around.

"…And this is my younger sister Edlyn… You know Ed that was really rude." Alphonse turned to face his sister with his arms crossed.

She ignored that and faced Mustang again, while pointing to her right at the group of people looking at them by the desks. "Who are they?" she asked.

The colonel sighed and shook his head, a small chuckle escaping his lips. "They would be my subordinates Edlyn. Some aren't originally in my team, but were ordered to help with the new group of teens." He motioned for them to come over and they obliged. They stood at attention in a line, reminding Ed that this place usually meant no nonsense. "That would be First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye." He said while pointing to the first in line.

She had chocolaty eyes that were on an emotionless masked face. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a twisted loop causing the tips to be facing up. Her bangs covered one eye a little, being swished to the side.

"Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc."

He was a tall blond with blue eyes. He had an unlit Cigarette dangling in between his lips and he smirked in a friendly manner at the Elric's, his salute looking casual.

"Second Lieutenant Heymans Breda."

Breda had orange hair and was a beefy man; you couldn't really tell what color his eyes were though.

"Master Sergeant Kain Fuery."

He was a short man who, although at attention, you could tell was shy. His hair was black and spikey and he looked like someone who an older woman would call a 'sweetie'. His eyes looked to be black, but it was hard to tell.

"Warrant Officer Vato Falman."

He was an older looking man, he had grey hair. You couldn't see his eyes for they were closed. He was pretty tall too.

"First Lieutenant Meas Hughes."

Meas was grinning and looked kind, but smart too. He had black hair that was a little spikey but in a messy way, and his eyes were like a green and wheat like color that were covered by glasses.

"Major Alex Louis Armstrong, he is another state alchemist."

He was a very large man, with a single blond curl on his forehead, and a mustache that covered his mouth. On his hands he had metal gloves with alchemy arrays on them.

"It is nice to meet you all." Alphonse said in a formal like manner. When Ed didn't say anything, he elbowed her.

Ed sighed. "What he said." she grumbled, looking away.

The group all stopped saluting and relaxed after Mustang gave them a nod. Hughes took this chance and rushed over to the siblings and went to get something out of his pocket. This caused them both to tense, years of keeping each other breathing showing when they subconsciously stepped closer together. This didn't go unnoticed by all the adults in the room; they knew they did the same thing. The only difference was that they were in the military and where trained to, these kids on the other hand…

Meas calmly pulled out the pictures he wanted to show, leaving the kids to sigh in relief. Again, that did not go unnoticed by the adults in the room. Ed stepped a little closer to look at the pictures while Meas spread them out like you would cards. "This is my precious daughter Elysia! Isn't she adorable?! She will turn 4 this Saturday!"

"This Saturday is E-" he was cut off with a wince as an elbow made a rather harsh blow to his ribs. When he looked down with a questioning gaze, he was met with a glare of molten gold. He raised an eyebrow and grinned at her. Before she could stop him, he held his hand over her mouth and grabbed her wrists and held them behind her back. "That's the same day as Ed's birthday." His grin vanished at the same time as he pulled back both his hands. "You licked me!" he stared at Ed in disbelief.

"Don't cover my mouth like that!" she yelled at him. How dare he do that? She glared at him with full force. "Next time I might bite you instead!"

"Why you little-" he cut himself off so he could pick her up by the waist and sling her over his should, holding her by having his arm at the bend of her knees. This caused some of the adults to chuckle.

"Alphonse! Put me down! Al!" she started hitting him on the back, squirming around, trying to get loose. "This isn't funny Al, Come on!" a whining tone entered her voice as she struggled. Very suddenly she stopped completely and tensed. Sensing this, Al frowned.

"Ed, what's wrong?" She simply held her throat and Al hastily put her down and put his hands on her shoulders. She continued to hold her throat, her body not in any way relaxed. "Edlyn, you have to cough. The doctor said not to hold it in." the worried tone in his voice caused Riza to walk over and past Meas. Mustang stayed put, knowing that if anyone could help, it would be Hawkeye.

"What's going on?" she asked Al with her brows furrowed.

"She has issues with her health due to…some past problems. They don't know how to cure it, they simply give her some medicine and advice to make it easier-" He suddenly tensed. "Ed! I said cough, you can't hold your breath anymore!" she finally gave up and started coughing. They were confused when he pulled out a napkin and handed it to her. She then coughed into that instead of her hand. They sounded awful and caused many of the adults to flinch. Once she was done coughing she simply inhaled as much of the needed air as she could. She slowly gave him the napkin and he scowled at it. Riza gasped as she saw the reason for the napkin.

"Is that blood?" this made Meas walk over to stand beside Riza. "How long has this been going on?"

"I will tell you later, but do you mind letting her laydown for a bit? She gets dizzy after this happens." As if to prove his point she held onto his sleeve, leaning on him.

Meas nodded and pointed to the living room like area to the left. "Right over there."

He scooped her up, holding her shoulders and legs as he walked over to one of the couches. Once she hit the couch, she was out like a light. He turned back to face all the elders in the room. He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm really sorry. I don't know how, but a long time ago when she was 3 and I was 5, our father decided it would be fun to… test some theories on my sister." The last part had his jaw tighten. "Mother and I didn't even know until Ed was old enough to tell us. That was when she was 6 and had a vague idea that it wasn't normal, that what he was doing was wrong." Al sighed and repeated his apology.

The grownups just stood there, shock on most of their faces. But Meas looked outraged. "Your father tested on his own daughter? That's sick." Meas scowled, but his gaze softened when he looked towards the couch that was behind Al, the back hiding Ed. "What all did he do?"

A dark look crossed Alphonse features. "He gave her many chemicals to consume, and did more tests to see how it affected the human body. That is one of the reasons she is here in the first place. Something he did to her increased her alchemic ability. Ed and I are both pretty smart about alchemy, but she has heightened strength when actually using it. I'm here simply to watch out for her. And to make sure doesn't break her automail." Al sighed and rubbed the back of his neck again, looking back at Ed. "I forgot to give her this morning's medicine. Miss Hawkeye? Can someone get her a cup of water so she can take it?"

"Sure, Fuery, can you do that please?" Kain nodded and rushed out of the room, closing the door behind him. Riza then turned back to face Al. "Al, didn't you say automail a little bit before?"

"Yes, she got in trouble a while back when she was 11. She hasn't told anyone about it, but when we found her she was missing her right arm and left leg. She didn't want to spend her life in a wheel chair, so we went to rush valley and got her some. The whole thing left her a whole new thing to have nightmares about." Al explained. No one could shake the feeling that he was leaving something very important out of that story.

After a minute of awkward silence, Fuery came back inside with a water bottle and handed it to Al. The elder sibling took out a pill case from his pocket and put two tablets in the palm of his hand. He walked around the couch and kneeled down by Ed, lifting her gently by her shoulders. This caused her to wake up, and since she was used to the pills she simply took them and popped them into her mouth. Al opened the water for her and she gulped them down, wiping her mouth on her sleeve.

"Thanks," she croaked, her voice sounding rough. Al slowly let go of her, she holding herself up on her own. When she looked around and saw all the faces looking at her, her cheeks went a deep crimson. "What the hell is everyone looking at? I got something on my face?" she snapped, annoyed. She didn't like being the center of attention, especially if the audience showed pity. She hated being pitied more than being the center of attention.

"Ed, don't be rude, they are only worried." Al scolded.

"Well no one needs to be worried, dammit, it's not like I'm going die!" she said, crossing her arms. Everyone was sure that she probably didn't know she was pouting, and it was a pretty good one too. Al sighed and shook his head, he knew better than anyone how stubborn his sister could be, and it only got worse with her being defensive. "And besides, I am perfectly fine now." She added, standing up and stretching. Ed looked over to Mustang after it seemed she remembered something important. "Hey, in the letter it said something about us being able to use the whole library, even the higher ranked areas, was that true?" she asked, her eyes large and begging, doing one of the best puppy dog eyes anyone of them had ever seen.

Mustang chuckled from where he stood near the other adults, crossing his arms casually. "Yes, the letter didn't lie. You can go there while Alphonse fills out some papers." Ed and Al shared a look, than they looked back towards Mustang, Ed giving a little nod. "Havoc, take Ed to the library and make sure she knows how to get from here to there, and vice versa."

"Yes sir," Havoc said with a lazy salute and a smirk, the unlit cigarette bobbing in between his lips. He walked over to the door and held it open; Ed hastily walking threw it with a wave to Al over her shoulder, causing Havoc to hurry after her.

Mustang motioned Al over to his desk and handed him a folder. "That is a folder of all the other members of this new group, and of the roles of military personal that are working with us. I will talk about the other kids in the group first." When he pointed at a chair, Al sat down as silently asked to. "First is Winry Rockbell whose guardian is Pinako Rockbell, her grandmother. She is the same age as you; Al. Winry's specialty is in the medical department, and in automail. She and her grandmother will help out at Centrals military Hospital for those who lose their limbs during missions. She could probably help out with Ed's automail as well. Then there is Rose who is 16, her last name is unknown for she was raised by locals in Liore. She is here because of her knowledge in languages. She will help with translating when a foreigner comes here. Then there is 4 Xingese who have been sent here to escape from being used as hostages, Ling who is 16 and Mei who is the same age as Ed are Prince and Princess for two different clans that get along, and Lan Fan is Ling's bodyguard, also being the same age as him. Fu is here to watch all 3, he being Lan Fan's grandfather. Mei is good at Xingese Alchemy while all 4 of them are good at martial arts.

And last but not least are the Tringham brothers. Russell is the older one, being the age of 16, and then there is Fletcher who is 15. They are here for two reasons. They are very good at bio alchemy, so they are still prodigies. Then there is the fact that there father was a state alchemist who passed away in the Ishbalan war, so the state has been taking care of them. They, like Ed, Ling, Lan Fan, Mei, and you will be sent on missions for the military in pairs. But the brothers and you plus your sister will still have access to the laboratories to practice your alchemy as long as you give all your findings to the Research and Development department."

Mustang stopped, letting Al think of what was just said. When Al looked up from the folder, he continued. "Now Alphonse, I will tell you this right now. You cannot be with Edlyn on all of her missions." The flame noticed Al grit his teeth at this. "I know you don't like this, but I am not in control of the matter." Mustang said, apologetically.

Al sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. "I understand sir." He crossed his arms. "Where are all of us staying, if you don't mind my asking? We weren't told when they took our belongings."

"You will be staying at the Armstrong manor. That is why Alex was assigned temporarily to my team." Al nodded, then blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Is something the matter Alphonse?"

"Er, are we allowed to have pets, sir?" Seeing Mustang raise an eyebrow, Al continued with a slight chuckle. "My sister tends to pick up strays. I don't think she can help it sir. When I told you about her and… father, he also added some animal jeans into her structure. It didn't change how she would look, but she has animal like characteristics. This is another reason she is such a good fighter." He said, a bit sheepishly.

Mustang frowned at this information, looking at the young man in front of his desk. "The Armstrong manor is quite large; I don't think they will have a problem with a few animals. In fact, they already have two of them there besides the horses they own. Mei Chang has a miniature panda while the Rockbell's have a dog named Den. Alex is right over there, why don't you go ask him and then come back to sign your papers?"

Al nodded and stood up, walking to the large man with a timid smile. "Excuse me, Mister Armstrong?"

"Ah! Mister Elric, what can I do for you, hm?" Alex asked, giving such a large smile that his eyes closed.

"Well, sir, I was wondering if it would cause trouble to have a few pets. My sister likes to pick up strays a lot." Al asked, rubbing the back of his neck again. It seemed to be his habit when not knowing what to do.

"Of course she can! Tell her that she can bring all the animals home that she wants! The Armstrong family has loved animals for generations!" Alex said, his voice booming all over the room, causing Breda and Mustang to chuckle and Riza to give a slight smile.

Meanwhile, Havoc was walking to the library that was a building away from HQ, that being the labs. Ed was right next to him, looking around and asking what building was what. "I myself have always wondered why they didn't just make one large building with everything in one. It would make things much simpler." Jean said with his hands in his pockets casually.

"My guess would be that it is because that way, if a building catches fire, everything won't be burned down, you know?" Ed said in reply.

"But how easily would a full brick building with water sprinklers burn down?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. He actually liked this kid; he was able to have a real conversation with her. He didn't feel like he was talking to a 15 year old at all. She was pretty good company.

"True, maybe it's easier to know your way around? Not as many halls to get lost in. And the laboratory being separate I can understand. What if they were doing something and it went wrong, causing the whole place to smell? Then there is the fact that there could be an explosion that could wreck the whole place." Ed said, crossing her arms in a way that showed you that she was thinking hard. She liked Havoc as much as he liked her, he didn't baby her and treat her weak because of her gender and age.

"Those are both good points…you're a pretty smart kid. No wonder you're a part of this new group." He smirked well naturedly, not a tainting 'I am better then you' smirk. This had Ed smiling, though it was a small one, it was still there. It also added some pink to her cheeks though, so she tried hiding her face with her bangs. It didn't work; Havoc still saw it out of the corner of his eyes, making his smirk grow into a smile.


	2. Men are Better?

**(Thank you for following me and the story, it means a lot to me! I haven't actually read this chapter in a while, since i wrote the first two chapters about a month ago, so please tell me any problems, or if you think i'm going to fast! R&R!)**

They went up the steps, Ed almost hopping up them while Havoc walked calmly and casually. Ed was still childish in many ways, but she was also very smart. Havoc watched her as she looked up at the tall building, already at the top of the steps. Pointing at the building, she looked back at Havoc. "And this is only the building that civilians aren't allowed in? This thing is freaking huge!" she said, in a state of awe.

Jean chuckled, nodding to her Question. "Yep, this is it. Pretty impressive, isn't it?" When all Ed could do was nod, he chuckled again, ruffling her hair as he passed her. She hurried after him so as not to be left behind. But her hurrying didn't last long, for as soon as she was inside, she stopped again. Her jaw dropped as she gaped at her surroundings. There were so many books! She couldn't believe her eyes as she looked at row after row. Ed felt like she was in heaven. She was pulled out of her musings when she heard her name being called by Havoc. "I am guessing you want to know where the Alchemy section is, right?"

"Yes!" she said, following him to the front desk. Once there, she saw a young woman with thick glasses and short brown hair and messy bangs.

"Hello Jean, who would this young lady be?" asked the woman with a kind smile.

"Sheska, this is Edlyn. I have a feeling that she will be here quite often, won't you Ed?" Ed nodded her head again, still looking around.

"Well it is nice to meet you Edlyn." Sheska said kindly.

"It's nice to meet you too. Can you show me where the Alchemy section is please?" the young blonde asked, practically jumping on her feet.

Jean laughed, shaking his head and ruffling Ed's hair again. "Calm down kid, I can show you the way, Sheska is busy manning the front desk as you can clearly see." Ed started pulling at his sleeve in a childish manner.

"Then let's go, come on!" she said, putting on her puppy dog eyes without her own knowledge."

"Alright, alright, didn't I tell you to calm down? Geez…" Jean said, with no harsh intent. He started heading to the back right corner, near the tables and desks. "Here we are, and hey! Look whose here. Russell, Fletcher, come over here and meet the new kid!" he called out to 2 blonde boys. The boys looked up, the younger one getting up and rushing over. "Ed, this is Fletcher, the younger Tringham brother. The rude one over there that didn't come to greet you is Russell."

"Hi! It's nice to meet you, are you the other alchemist that we were told was coming?" asked Fletcher. He was a nice looking kid who was, sadly, taller than her by about half a foot. He had gray eyes, and wore a green headband with flaps over the ears. He also wore a white shirt with green overalls. The overalls had only one strap, going across his chest.

Ed nodded, putting on a friendly grin. "Yeah, it's nice to meet you too. What kind of Alchemy are you looking at?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I am going to leave now Ed; I am not one to participate in alchemy talk. Try not to stay here too long." He said, ruffling her hair and walking away after Ed waved and said goodbye.

"Well, we are working on-" fletcher was interrupted by the teen that was still sitting down, holding up his head with one hand and looking at them.

"We are working on a type of Alchemy that doesn't concern you. We aren't going to let you rip off our ideas." He said, looking bored. "Fletcher, come back over here so we can continue working. We don't need outside help from an amateur." After that was said, Russell looked back down and started reading his book.

Ed huffed, crossing her arms. "Just because you're older doesn't mean you can boss him around. And besides, if he is helping you, shouldn't he get a say in those types of decisions?" she asked, glaring at the older blonde. This had a little pink come to Fletchers cheeks, no one really stood up for him like that.

"I don't think I asked for your opinion. Last time I checked, alchemy was meant for men, not little girls. Now run along before you hurt yourself with a faulty alchemy circle." said Russell, not even looking up from his book.

Fletcher wanted to protest about such words, but stopped when he noticed that Ed was clenching her fists and gritting her teeth. "So you think only men can do alchemy, and that girls are weak? I guess you don't remember who General Armstrong is that protects us at the Drachman border. Or that there are plenty of women walking around in the nearby buildings! You know what, I think you are just scared of being shown up by a girl!" said Edlyn, her glare still fixed on Russell.

This had Russell's attention right away, his head snapping up to fix Ed with a glare of his own. "Why would I be scared of girls? They are weak and meant to stay at home while the men work. I bet your dad was the one who got all the money to pay for you and your family!" he said, standing up and slammed his hands down on the table.

Hearing that caused Ed to flinch, not going unnoticed by Fletcher. Ed's hands tightened more, fists shaking. Fletcher was about to yell at his brother, but was beat to the punch by said person.

"What, was I right? Are you mad that you are wrong, that men overpower woman? I bet you just don't like your dad, are jealous! Jealous that he is so much better then you!" he said, not seeing the affect the words had on the young girl. She had clenched her hands so hard that her nails had dug into her palms, blood slowly trickling off her knuckles. She hide her face with her bangs, her shoulders slumped as she stared at the ground.

Suddenly two people rounded the corner, one looked at Ed and when saw her state, and he rushed over. Kneeling down and holding her shoulders, he looked up at her. "Ed, are you alright? What's wrong?" asked Alphonse. Al became worried when he saw how lifeless her eyes were. That was how she got when she shut down, hiding inside herself. Then he heard a snicker from behind him, causing him to turn his head, looking back at Russell.

"So not only one, but two guys have to look after you? Shows how little women can do by themselves! Are you not only jealous of your father, but him too?" the blonde asked, a sneer covering his face.

This had Al glaring at Russell. "What the hell did you say to Ed before I got here?" Al asked with venom clear in his voice. Fletcher stood there awkwardly, wondering if he should help his brother or help the stranger who was probably Ed's older brother.

"Only what's true, that women are weak, and men are in control. And judging by how she reacted when I said that your father was in control at your house, I'm guessing I was right!" said Russell, crossing him arms. Fletcher was close to punching his brother. This wasn't how he normally acted! His brother was being a jerk for no reason!

Al saw red, he was so pissed off. How dare this guy not only insult Ed, but bring up her bad past?! He stood up and stomped towards Russell, only to be stopped by the other person who had come with him. Roy held Al's arm, fixing Russell with one of his coldest looks.

"I would advise for you to work on your sexist attitude, Mister Tringham. With what I have learned, her knowledge on alchemy is that of someone of my level. You should also learn that her training leaves her with enough strength, excuse my language, to kick your ass. Might I also add that you just lost respect from all of my men, for my second in command is a female? Alphonse, help me bring Ed back to the office." With that said Mustang spun on his heels and headed towards the door.

Al gave one last glare at Russell and kneeled by Ed again, brushing her bangs out of her face. "Edlyn, are you listening? We're going back to the office. Here, come on." Al turned around and helped Ed onto his back, using the style they walked into HQ with. Al then looked at Fletcher. "With how you're glaring at him, I am guessing you didn't have anything to do with the insults. I saw your picture in the file, your fletcher, right? When my sister is near that asshole, please make sure he doesn't speak to her." With a small smile to Fletcher, Al walked off after Mustang.

Once they were out of sight, Fletcher marched up to his elder brother, who was standing there with his mouth slightly agape. "What the hell was that all about, brother?! When did you turn into such an ass! All she did was stand up for me, your own brother, and you go and be a jerk?" he said, fuming.

Russell rubbed the back of his neck, looking down at his little brother with a frown. "I don't know why I said it, Fletch. I guess she just made me… mad." He finished lamely. Russell sighed, plopping down on his chair and slouched. "I really did turn into an ass, huh?" he asked, looking up at his still standing brother.

"No, I was being sarcastic while yelling at you." said the young blonde, rolling his eyes. After a minute of silence, he sat next to his brother with a sigh. "Just make sure you apologize next time you see her, okay brother? She just got here and you already made her your enemy." he asked, watching Russell's face for any reaction. When his brother simply nodded, he picked up his book and continued reading, leaving Russell to his thoughts.

While Mustang led the way back to his office, Al was still trying to calm down. He hated when something like this happens, it would take a few days to get Ed to start acting normal again. She didn't take lightly to conversations about their father; she would hide away inside herself. Sometimes she wouldn't even eat, which is really bad for someone with automail. Another thing that happens when she gets like this is she gets really clingy, as if everyone she knows will up and leave her. Even if it's someone she has only just gotten to know she will always make sure that there is contact in some form, be it holding a sleeve or sitting in their lap. He frowned, it should be weird that she can still easily fit in peoples laps, but one side effect of their father's experiments caused her growth to be stunted.

He sighed when he noticed how tightly her hands were holding onto his shirt. "It's okay Ed, everything is fine, no need to worry." he said with the calmest voice he could use. When he heard mumbling coming from the young girl, he turned his head to look back at her. "Are you saying something?" Al asked.

"…I'm sorry…it's my fault… she's gone…I'm really sorry…I didn't mean too…" she said softly. Al mentally groaned. Of course, not only was she reminded about their father, she had to go and remember about mother. That was the part that he had left out in the explanation. Not only Edlyn was taken during it. So was mother, but she didn't just loose a few limbs, she lost her life. And Ed was there when it happened. He doesn't know the details, but he can understand that is was a terrifying experience for the young girl.

"Ed, no one blames you. You have nothing to be sorry for in the first place." he said. Alphonse was mad, but this time at himself. He knew why she blamed herself; it was because of him himself. When he was told about his mother's death he blamed, blamed everything on her. He was so harsh, so now Ed has gotten into the habit of taking all the blame. All because Al told her upfront that he hated her, that it was her fault that their mother was dead. He took it back an hour later of course, but it didn't help any. He hated himself for what he said, but he would never be able to take it back again.

"…Sorry, Alphonse… I took your mommy away…sorry…" she repeated those lines for the whole walk to the office. Luckily Mustang was far enough ahead, giving them their privacy. Once in the office, Jean hastily walked over, looking at Ed.

"What happened? Is she okay?" he asked, worry etched into his face. Alphonse gave a faint smile, Ed was able to get people to care for her so easily, they barely had to know her and they would become mother hens.

"There was a little incident at the library with the older Tringham brother." Al said, shaking his head and kneeling down, letting Ed get off his back. "He was being a sexist jerk, and happened to bring up our father in the insults." Al looked down when he felt a tug on his sleeve, seeing Ed start her clinging face. When she saw he was looking at her, she hugged his arm.

Meas scowled, walking over to stand beside Havoc. "Russell likes to cause trouble, we should have warned you." He said, taking off his glasses to clean them.

Al simply shrugged. "I should tell you now that Ed has stages after being reminded about her past… She will be very clingy, she probably will get like this with Mister Havoc and myself." He said, motioning with his free hand towards the young blonde still holding Al's arm.

Jean raised an eyebrow. "Why me and no one else?" he asked, the confusion evident in his voice.

"She knows you the most beside me. Whenever she gets into this stage she doesn't really know what's going on, so she clings to what is familiar in a good way. And since you haven't yelled at her or anything like that, you would be the next person to cling to if I were to leave the room." Al explained, petting Ed hair gently. "But yeah, she will be like this for a while, sorry."

"It's perfectly fine Alphonse, we understand" said Meas, giving a warm smile to the siblings.

Riza walked up to Mustang and said something that went unheard. When mustang gave a nod, she walked briskly out of them room. Jean noticed when Riza left the room though, and asked mustang why.

"She is going to show one Mister Tringham how bad it is to be sexist." Mustang said with a smirk. This had a few people chuckle, the room soon going quiet afterwards. AL sighed and looked towards Havoc.

"Mister Havoc?" when the blonde man looked over at him, he continued. "I kind of need to use the restroom, can you watch Edlyn for me please?" he asked.

Havoc nodded and walked over and took one of Ed's hands, she immediately taking his arm and hugged it. This made him give a small sad smile. Alphonse thanked him and left the room. Everything went quiet again, the silence making people uncomfortable. Havoc sighed and looked to Mustang. "Mind if I take a break from work? I can't really write like this and all…" he trailed off, seeing that Mustang had already nodded. Jean slowly walked over to the same couch she had sat on before; he sat down, her following the example. Once they both sat down, she kicked her shoes off and pulled them up onto the couch. She was half lying down, still hugging his arm so that she was sitting up. Havoc started petting her head like Al had before, thinking that she would like the familiarity of it.

The room was still quiet when Hawkeye came back, dragging Russell by his ear, the blonde repeating 'ow' over and over again. It was quite a comical sight. Fletcher came in after him, looking around. When he spotted Ed and how deflated she looked, he frowned at his brother.

"Yeah, Russell, you are a big ass. Thank you Miss Hawkeye for telling us about Ed." he said, looking at Riza with a thankful smile. She simply nodded and let go of Russell ear, he immediately rubbing at it and glared at the women.

Ed watched all of this with dead eyes. Al was only partly right about the fact that she wasn't very aware of her surroundings. She was almost perfectly aware; the only thing was that she didn't feel the need to participate with anything. She simply felt empty enough to feel like she wasn't actually there. But when she saw Russell, her hold on Jeans arm tightened. This didn't go unnoticed by him, and he suddenly felt very angry at the young man that had come inside the room.

Russell sighed when he saw the glare he was getting. "Havoc, I didn't mean to be such a jerk, she just made me angry." he said.  
"That is a pretty lame excuse Russell. You should be more careful with what you say when you don't even know the person." Jean scolded.

The young blonde sighed again, about to talk, when he was cut off by Alphonse walking back into the room. When he saw Russell, he glared, walking past him to get to Ed, roughly bumping their shoulders as he went. He sat on the other side of Ed, the girl knowing who it was climbed into his lap, legs up to her chest as she leaned back against her elder brother. Al wrapped his arms around her shoulders and rested his chin on top of her head. "So what is he doing here?" Al asked calmly, trying to keep his voice steady even though he was still pissed off at him.

Fletcher stepped forward and gave a timid smile. "He is here to apologize. He knows he was wrong and would like to know if there is anything he can do to show how sorry he is. And since I knew he would only say sorry and not the second part, I said it for him so that he can actually pay her back for acting like he did." He said, giving a meaningful glare to his older brother.

Russell groaned and hung his head. "Fine, what he said." Jean chuckled at how similar that was to Ed when they were doing introductions. Al gave a small 'hm' and watched Russell. But then they were surprised when Ed actually spoke instead of keeping quiet like Al said she would.

"To make it up to me, you can be my sparring partner." she said, looking Russell straight in the eyes. "To show you how strong girls can be, and to show you that I _can_ kick your ass." She crossed her arms, smirking at the shocked faces around her. "Sorry! Didn't mean to turn into a zombie again Al." she said, looking up at her brother. When Al saw that she looked alive again, he smiled back and turned his head to look at Russell.

"Yeah, a sparring partner sounds like a good idea. She could use the exercise and practice." He said, smirking just like his sister. He then looked down at the young blonde girl. "Ed, we'll have to get some padding to put around your automail so that you don't break any bones. He has to go on missions too, you know." Ed did a mock thoughtful face. The show the siblings were making had everyone in the office smiling except Russell and Fletcher. While Russell looked frightened, most likely about the broken bones part, Fletcher was laughing so hard that he had to bend over and hold his stomach.

"Wait, did you just say sparring partner? So that means you know how to fight?" he asked, shocked. He wasn't used to girls knowing that kind of thing.

Ed rolled her eyes. "Yeah, to help speed along my automail recovery, I learned how to fight from a girl in Rush Valley. And once Paninya couldn't teach me anymore, I signed up for lessons. Rush valley really is all about automail, because those classes were made especially for those who have it." Ed grinned and stretched her legs out, still sitting in Al's lap.

"Edlyn, don't be mean and leave out the part about you completing the whole class in two years even though it was a 5 year course. Or the fact that you were taking two classes a day instead of one like everyone else." Al said, his smirk turning a little evil. Everyone was impressed. They knew she was supposed to be good at fighting, but _that_ good? Ed's cheek reddened a bit at the praise she got from Al.

"Alphonse, it isn't nice to brag! Besides, I'm not that good, they just went easy on me because I was young and a girl." She said with a huff.

Al rolled his eyes. "You just like to be modest." Al said. He then looked around at the people in the room. Fletcher was still laughing, and Jean was trying hard not to by covering his mouth with his hand. All the other adults were smiling. Some of the smiles even looked like smirks. Then his eyes landed on Russell, and oh how he loved the sight of the other boy looking like he was about to be sick. "Something wrong Russell? You looked shocked that she could have done all that. And yet you said that she was weak. With your definition of weak, I would think you will a new word for yourself after you fight my dear little sister." And that was the breaking point for Jean, he doubled over in laughter, much like Fletcher had.

Ed sighed, shaking her head. Al was enjoying this way too much. He loved making people pay for thing when they did something to her. And he had said that he was innocent? She looked over to the adults who were by the cluster of desks. "Miss Hawkeye? Can you show me the way to the training rooms? I need to practice with my new sparring partner. Especially after that long train ride here from Rush Valley."

Hawkeye nodded, and when she saw that it looked the older Tringham brother was about to make a run for it, she grabbed his ear again. When Russell sent a pleading look towards his brother, Fletcher simply shook his head and smiled a little too sweetly to be innocent. "You got yourself into this mess brother; I am not bailing you out! What kind of example are you setting for me anyway?" he said, shaking his head in mock disappointment.

When Hawkeye started pulling Russell out of the room, Ed hopped off the couch and walked over to Fletcher, smiling at him. "Thanks for helping me to get your brother to agree!" she said. Al shook his head when he saw Fletchers cheeks went a little pink and followed the others out of the room. Ed grabbed Fletcher by his wrist and started pulling him after Hawkeye. This had Al laugh, he felt bad for Fletcher, and Ed didn't even know that she affected him like that.

They walked out of the main building again, heading to a smaller one. Once inside, Ed let go of Fletcher, her eyes looking around at all of the equipment. Hawkeye let go of Russell's ear, he again rubbed at it and scowled at the lieutenant. "Can you please stop doing that? You are going to rip my ear off!" he said.

"Hey, what's going on over there?" said another teen, Alphonse seeing that it's Ling with Lan Fan following him.

"Brother got himself in trouble so now he is going to get beat up." Fletcher said casually.

Ling laughed and smacked his hand on Russell's back. "Well good luck, hope you don't mint the extra audience. I am excited to see how good the newbie is, aren't you Lan Fan?" ling asked, turning his head back to see the girl. She simply nodded in response.

Ed stepped forward so she was closer to the Xingese girl and boy. "Who are you guys?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I am Ling, and this is Lan Fan, it is nice to meet you." said the black haired boy, his hair in a low ponytail. He held out his hand and she shook it. Since he wanted to test her fighting ability, he grabbed her wrist with his other hand and threw her over his shoulder. But he didn't expect her to grab his wrist too, using the momentum to twist her body and kick him in the back, jump off and land on her feet while he staggered a bit. He turned around a looked at her, eyes actually open a little.

"You fight with cheap tricks, don't you?" she asked, slowly turning her head to look at him. She smirked at everyone's faces; they were all shocked again besides Al's. "Care to try it again?" This had Lan Fan make a dash for the blonde, she having insulted her master. Lan Fan went to kick Ed in the face, but Ed blocked with her wrist and grabbed her ankle, holding it. Lan Fan spun her whole body and went to kick with her other leg while being in the air, but Ed grabbed that one too. Ed then twisted her ankles around, having the black haired girl spin again and fall to the ground. After a minute of silence, Ed smiled and offered a hand to help her up. "You might want to work on keeping a cool head, even if Ling is insulted. It becomes your weakness." she said while helping the girl up. Lan Fan gave a timid smile while Ed full out grinned. "Well that was fun." She giggled and looked over to Ling, who started grinning back.

"I like you, you're pretty good." Ling walked over and stood next to her, putting his arm on one of her shoulders and leaning while he looked at the people who were still in the doorway. Al was chuckling and shaking his head while Hawkeye's eyes were wide in shock. The Tringham brothers also had wide eyes, but for two reasons. First, Ed just beat Lan Fan, and second, Lan Fan forgave her and actually smiled. Those were two firsts, and they couldn't believe either of them happened.

Ed crossed her arms and looked up at him, not complaining about his arm to Al's disbelief. "Maybe I should train with you guys instead of Mister Sexist over there." She said while pointing to Russell. This part had Lan Fan glaring at Russell. She already knew how much Russell tended to degrade women. Lan Fan looked over at Ed and they both nodded, confusing everyone. Then suddenly they were both running at Russell. They made as if to attack, but stopped before they made contact, leaving a surprised Russell with Ed's fist less than an inch from his face and Lan Fan behind him with her foot almost touching his ribs in a kicking motion. This made Russell curse and almost fall backwards into the black haired girl.

Both Ed and Lan Fan slowly began to stand normally. They then walked back over to Ling and high fived on the way there. Fletcher, Al, and Ling were laughing while Russell just stood there, his eyes wide. Riza didn't laugh, but she was smiling from the whole thing. She didn't think Russell would underestimate girls for a long while.

Al was happy though, because it seemed that Ed had made some friends. Ling, Lan Fan, and Ed were now talking in a little triangle in the middle of the room. Then Al noticed that they weren't the only ones in the room, it was the military's training room after all. All other military personal were just standing there and gaping at the display that was just performed. This had Al laughing all over again and elbowing Fletcher to show him.

Al's laughter died down when he caught a glimpse of the clock. It was two o'clock, time for his baby sister's next dose. Sighing, he walked over to her tapped her shoulder. She turned, confused as to why her brother was grim again. When he patted his pocket, her confused turned to irritation.

Ling raised an eyebrow at the scene. "Is something the matter Ed?" he asked, his eyebrows rose even further when he saw her paste on a smile. To anyone else they might not have caught it, but he and Lan Fan saw how strained it was.

"Oh, it's nothing! Come on Al, I'm thirsty, let's go to the mess hall for some juice." said the young blonde, grabbing her brothers wrist and dragging him out of the training room.

The two Xingese' walked over to where Riza, Fletcher, and Russell were. "Care to explain the sudden rush?" he asked the lieutenant.

"She has to take her medication." she said.

"Does she have a cold or something?" asked Ling.

Riza shook her head sadly, looking at the door the Elric's just left from. "She has issues with her health..." She looked over to all the teens that were around her. "She doesn't know that you know, and I would like to keep it that way. Also, do not mention it to anyone else; we don't want such information to leak out into enemy hands."

A few moments later, Alphonse came back inside, looking around. "Did Ed come in here?" Seeing the confused looks, he took it as a no. Sighing, he explained his question. "She dashed off after getting her drink, and I can't find her, I thought maybe she came back here." Suddenly, there was a streak of gold and red that stopped after hopping onto Alphonse shoulders. While everyone stood still, he smiled and clapped his hands, leaving the girl to cling to him with her arms and legs. "Well done Edlyn, you actually got on this time!"

"What the heck do you mean by that?" asked Russell, looking irritated and confused. His whole day had been turned upside down from these siblings, and he was getting frustrated. Fletcher snickered from his spot beside his older brother.

"She likes to practice her stealth, so to do that she will try to 'attack' me. It usually doesn't work; I have pretty good reflexes so I tend to move before she even touches Me." he said, looking back at her as she beamed. Then without warning, she lifted herself up and over his shoulders like you would in leap frog. She landed gracefully on her feet in front of her brother. She put her hands on her hips, looking at everyone before her. She already liked it here, not everyone was mean and the adults weren't bad either. She then looked at Russell and Fletcher, smiling. The smile was mostly for Fletcher, but that's beside the point.

She walked over and looked at Fletcher. "Want to go to the library? I haven't checked out the books yet because of, you know, _reasons_." Fletcher nodded and they started walking out of the training room. The older siblings both shook their heads and followed, waving to the people behind them. Riza also left, going back to the office. That left Ling and Lan Fan to think about the newest addition. They also wondered if Mustang had told Ed about the fact that she would have to take the State Alchemy exam.


	3. A Hyper Blonde

**(Thanks for still reading the story! I am posting this chapter earlier than planned because i am going on a trip. sorry its shorter then normal, but in my opinion, it has more humor the then previous chapters! the next update will be in around 10 days, i am very sorry! R&R)**

Russell and Al ended up walking to the library side by side, Ed and Fletcher already striking up a conversation, both talking excitedly about their favorite type of alchemy. The two younger siblings didn't notice the awkward silence happening behind them. Al was still pissed, while Russell just didn't know what to say. Finally Russell sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. He looked over to Al, who in turn had already looked at him from his movement.

"Look, I really didn't mean to be such a jerk earlier. I don't know what got into me, but I am sorry and I can promise you that it won't happen again." Russell said, albeit a bit sheepishly. Al just looked at him for a few moments, and then let out a sigh of his own.

"It isn't me who you should say that too, but I guess we're good. For now." He said the threat clear in his voice. Russell gave a small nervous laugh, taking the threat very seriously. I mean, if Al was better than Ed that means the he should be very, _very_ scared. The two boys' attention was drawn back to the siblings ahead of them, Fletcher calling out after Ed as she ran ahead at a very fast speed.

Al cursed under his breath, dashing after her. "Sorry, give me a second!" he yelled as he passed Fletcher. All they saw when he caught up to her was Ed bouncing on her heels and giggling (much to her later self's grief). Al smiled a bit, shaking his head. He took her arm and led Ed back to the brothers. "Uh…she is just really hyper right know, sorry." He said, holding her arm so that she wouldn't take off again. The brothers nodded, figuring it might be a side effect of the medication.

"Aaaal, hey, hey Al, can we do something?" Ed asked, clearly showing that Al was correct, the short blonde was clearly very hyper. "I honestly don't think I can read right know, ya' know? I am all, all, all…jittery? Yeah, that's it, jittery…I think?" she said, confusing herself. "Or maybe nervous, wait…. Why would I be nervous? Huh, so that can't be it. Oh! Maybe I-" she was cut off by Al, who was trying hard not to laugh at her mindless blabber.

"Race you to Mustang's office!" he yelled, dashing towards the main building.

Ed and the others blinked, before the short blonde let out an excited blurp of laughter, running after him. The brothers looked at each other, and then they grinned and ran after the two newbies, Fletcher yelling out a loud 'wait up!'

All the soldiers stared as the four teens ran down the halls, nearly hitting walls as they made sharp turns. Their laughter rang threw the air, making many smile at how lively it was compared to the usually dull work days. Ed was slowly catching up to Al, she being only 3 meters behind him; the Tringham's only a little ways behind them. Saying Mustang and his men were shocked when they barged in was an understatement, they all jumped in their seats and Fuery gave a small squeak.

"I win!" bellowed Al, he gasping for air and laughing.

"Damn it! I was so close!" panted Ed as she skidded in behind him.

"Ha! You were miles behind me!" said Al.

"Jeez, you guys run fast, holy crap!" Russell said, gasping for air, Fletcher doing the same as he bent over with his hands on his knees.

Ed ignored him, responding to Al. "I was not! I was right behind you and you know it!" she shouted, glaring at her brother playfully.

"Sure you were." Al smirked.

"I was! Ask them!" she said, pointing to the Tringham's"

"Shit no, leave me out of this!" said Russell, raising his hands above his head in mock surrender.

Fletcher laughed at them all, the adults still getting over their surprising entry.

"…"

"…the hell?" asked jean, his brows furrowed at the teenagers antics.

That caused the teens to pause, and then they all doubled over into laughter, filling the room with the sound of their joy.

"Well, I think Ed is feeling better now, from what I can see." said Breda, grinning as he chuckled.

"How wondrous, this is a true show of the friendship of youth!" cried Armstrong, crying tears of joy as he ripped off his shirt, flexing his muscles and showering everything in sparkles.

"…the hell?" Ed said, stealing Jeans line from earlier.

"Get used to it, he tends to do that a lot." said Havoc, speaking around his cigarette with a smirk.

"Oh how the newest additions bring such energy!" said Armstrong, him running towards Ed with his arms open. Ed gave a small shriek as she ran away, trying hard not to get caught by the giant.

"Shit, shit, shit! Alphonse, god damn, save me!" she yelled to her brother, who was currently laughing again, along with everyone else in the room. She then dove behind Russell, pushing him towards Armstrong. He ended up getting the hug instead of Ed, much to the girl's joy.

"Ahaha, my brother was used as a sacrifice!" called out Fletcher as Russell was behind suffocated by the scarily large muscles.

"I…can't…_breath!"_ he choked out, struggling against the hold. Ed was holding back laughter again as she stood next to Jean, who was doing the same thing. Al and Fletcher were trying to get Armstrong to let go, giving Russell a little mercy.

"Major, I hope you don't plan on killing the poor kid." said Mustang, smirking as he paced his chin on the palm of his hand, it holding his head up.

Ed finally took a deep breath, her laughing fit gone as she sighed. She leaned on Havoc's desk, look at said man. Ed cleared her throat, gaining his attention. "Uh, I wanted to say sorry, for, ya know, the whole clinging thing. I can't really control it when I am out of it so….yeah." she finished, rubbing at her arm awkwardly.

"No problem kid, I'm just happy I was able to help." He said with a genuine smile. Ed smiled a little in response, and both were unaware that Hughes had taken a picture, smirking as he pocketed it.

They looked back to the others, seeing that Armstrong had finally let Russell go. She gave a small 'eep' as his glare turned to her. "I am going to _kill_ you, you little brat!" she said.

Everyone jump when the outburst came, none of them (besides Al) had expected it, and he even plugged his ears with a grin.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MICROSIZED PIPSQUEACK YOU ASSHOLE?!" Ed yelled as she ran forward, kicking his shin in a childish manner.

"Owowowow fuck that hurt!" Russell hissed as he jumped up and down on one leg, holding his knee.

"Oh, I'm sooo sorry; I guess I accidently used my _Automail _foot, my bad." Ed said in a sickingly sweet voice.

Everyone looked at the door when they heard a new laugh, it being Ling and Lan Fan. "That was a little harsh, don't ya think, Ed?" asked ling, him smirking.

"Hell no, he called me little." She huffed, crossing her arms.

"A little height sensitive, are you?" asked Mustang with a smirk.

No one missed the slight frown on Al's lips, and Mustang flinched after he remembered that it was a side effect of those horrible things. They all saw as her past on a scowl to cover the hurt. "Shut up." she said, blowing a raspberry in a once again, childish manner.

Mustang chuckled at her antics, relieved that she was dropping the subject. He stood up, pushing his chair back with his legs as he did so. "Well, it will be a little late, but how about we all go to the mess hall and get some lunch, hm?" he said, looking around the room.

Ed's eyes lit up at the mention of food. She ran to Al, he already knowing what she was going to do. He turned around and she leaped onto his back. "To the food my trusty steed!" she yelled, pointing towards to door. He laughed and began walking with the rest of the group, them having started to fill out. Hughes took the chance to once again snap a picture, planned to tell his little Elysia all about his day once he got home.

They chatted amongst themselves on their way, it being on the other side of the building. Jean slowed down so that he was in the back with the siblings. "So Ed, Al, what's your favorite food?" he asked casually.

"Stew." They replied in unison. Jean laughed, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Hm…what's your favorite color?"

"Red." replied Ed.

"Green." said Al.

Ed giggled at that. "Al, we secretly love Christmas without even knowing it. Al laughed in reply.

Jean laughed too, smiling as he pictured Ed and Al sitting under a Christmas tree.

The whole team tensed when Ed gave a cough, turning her head away from Al and shielding her mouth with her elbow. She cleared her throat, turning back to her brother. "Hey Al, do you have a couch drop?"

"Crap! I knew I forgot something…" Al growled.

"Uh, I have one." Ed looked over Al's shoulders to see Fuery holding out one. She smiled and nudged Al, him setting her down.

"Thank you very much!" she chirped, taking the offered cough drop. She popped it into her mouth, smiling at the glasses wearing soldier.

"You're welcome." He smiled back.

Suddenly there was a little cry as Ling glomped Ed, her giving a squeak of surprise. "She is adorable!" he said, rubbing his cheek against the top of her head.

"Young lord," Lan Fan protested, seeing Al glare.

There was a yelp as Ling leapt away from her, holding his arm with a mock hurt look. "She bit me!" he yelled.

"Do that again and I will draw blood!" Ed hollered, her face a bright red as she hide behind Havoc and Al, creating a human wall between herself and Ling. Lan Fan sighed, dragging a pouting Ling to the front of the group to keep him safe from the murderous glare coming from Alphonse.

The group finally made it to the cafeteria, they having to put tables together to make enough room for their large ensemble. Ed sat in between Al and Havoc, Russell and Fletcher to Al's right. Russell noticed something, and he decided to bring it up.

"Ed, why aren't you drinking your milk?" he asked.

Ed stopped chewing, slowly turning her gaze to Russell. "I am not drinking it because its gross." She stated bluntly, poking the tiny milk carton away with her fork.

Russell raised an eyebrow. "It would help make you tall-" he was cut off with a milk carton hitting his face.

"Shut up, I'm not short!" she yelled at him, standing up.

"Would you stop hurting me?!" he yelled back, also standing.

"I will stop hurting you when you stop being an ass!"

"I wasn't even doing anything!"

"You were calling me short, damn it!"

"I was saying it would make you taller, the word short wasn't said once!"

"But it was intended!"

They were so busy arguing that they didn't see Mustang come up behind them. He grabbed both their heads and bonked them together, then let them go.

"Ow!"

"Fuck!"

"As entertaining as your arguing is, it is causing unwanted attention." Mustang said smirking down at them. Ed and Russell glared up at him, Ed even going as far as sticking her tongue out at him. Roy chuckled before sitting back down.

Ed was the first one to finish eating, and she tugged Al's sleeve to show him. He nodded at her and dug in his pocket, handing her something under the table. She got up and walked out without saying a word.

"Alphonse?" asked Hughes.

"Eheh, well, she has to do something after her meal." he said sheepishly.

"Is it more medication?" asked Fletcher politely. Al sighed and nodded, slouching in her chair.

"This one is only supposed to be taken once a month; we planned it to be today a while ago, so no worries. Usually it's only when she wakes up and at 2 o'clock." Al said.

"And if she doesn't take it?" Lan Fan asked him, her brows furrowed.

"Well, let's just hope you don't find out. The one that adults saw was a very mild attack and they happen a lot, even if she takes the medication."

The explanation was cut short when raised voices were heard just outside the doors. The group looked at each other, than shot out of their seats and towards the door. Al was furious at what he saw, Havoc not far off. A large soldier was holding Ed up by her neck, clearly causing her to struggle for breathe. She was clawing at his wrist, trying to kick out. There were soldiers trying to get him to stop, but he wouldn't listen.

"You little brat!" he growled, "I don't know why you're here, but I should kill you!"

"Fuck….off!" she choked out, spitting on his face.

The man gave a roar, throwing the girl at the nearest wall, she landing with a smack.

That was the biggest mistake of his life, for the next second, everyone on Mustang's team had pulled out their guns, and Mustang held his hand posed to snap. But Al, Al didn't hesitate. He ran forward, kicked the man behind his knees, and when they guy bent backwards; Al grabbed _his _neck and pushed him to the ground, holding him there.

"**What the hell do you think you're doing to my sister?!" **he bellowed, glaring with pure venom down at the soldier. Al was pleased when he saw the terrified look the guy had, he having noticed Mustang and his men.

While Mustang went over and re-asked the question, Jean and Hawkeye were kneeling by Ed, Hughes right behind them. "What happened kid?" Havoc asked with his concern plain as day.

"Bastard groped my ass, the fucknut." She growled, holding her neck where they could already see the bruising of fingers. Russell and Fletcher looked at each other, both wanted to kill the man that Breda was handcuffing. Hawkeye had a frown as she reported that to Mustang, he in return scowled at the man. Mustang, Breda, and Hawkeye went to report him in, leaving the group to try and break up the crowd.

Maes kneeled down by Ed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "And what did you do after that?" he asked.

"…I called him a fucknut, what else?" she asked as she crossed her arms. Jean laughed at that, patting her back.

"Ed, are you okay?" asked Alphonse, her taking her hand and pulling her to her feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine." she said smiling reassuringly.

"Perhaps I should take the young ones back to the house." Armstrong said, getting nods from everyone. Jean smirked and asked Al something in a whisper, Al laughing in return, giving a nod. Havoc then kneeled in front of Ed, Al picking her up under her armpits and placing her on Jean's back. She instantly wrapped her arms and legs around him as not to fall off.

"What the fuck?!" she hollered, looking at Al for an explanation.

"Come on Ed, we both know you love to be carried, so just relax. It's not like he'll drop you." Al chuckled as a blush rose to his sister's face. Armstrong and the teens, plus Jean, went to the front of HQ, there being a limo waiting for them.

"Woah, are you rich or something?" Ed asked Armstrong.

"You could say that." Russell replied.

Ed didn't understand what he meant until they got to the mansion. It was huge, the house being 3 stories tall. The girl gawked at it, her eyes wide. "This is bigger than the library! Holy fuck!" she said.

"Ed, watch your mouth, you swear too much."

"Yeah, sure, kay!" she said, bolting towards the back of the house, Al just noticing the large grouping of trees.

"Aw shit! Ed, get back here!" he said, chasing after her as she gave a squeal of laughter.

"And you told me not to swear, you hypocrite!" she yelled back at him.

Russell, Fletcher, Ling and Lan Fan followed after. Armstrong just laughed and went inside. He was happy to see all the energy, for before the Elric's came, the other teens weren't very lively.

Lan Fan and Ling easily caught up with the girl, they running side by side. Ed saw this and gave another laugh, speeding up. "What are you doing Ed?" asked Lan Fan.

"I am sooo going to climb the tree's." she said happily. "Rush valley barely had any, so it's been a while!" with that, they reached the tree's. Everyone thought the same exact thing when she started to climb.

_She looks like a monkey._

They all stopped and looked to Al for an explanation.

"Ahaha, you should see your faces!" he laughed. "She has many animals like characteristics. Like, she really doesn't land on her feet, she is fast, and she can climb really well. And don't tell her I said this, but you can catch her napping in a patch of sun a lot." he said, smiling up at her. It took a sad edge when he figured he should tell the others the story. So he told them about their father, and about the animal jeans. Ed didn't hear any of it; she was busy looking around from the top of the tree. Al then noticed how high up she was. "Edlyn Alexis Elric! What do you think you're doing?!" he yelled up at her.

"Climbing? Duh!" she called back, giggling as she saw him scowl. "Don't be a worry wart, I'm coming down." She then proceeded to jump from branch to branch with an inhuman amount of balance. From the last branch she jumped onto his back, having on a huge smile. "That was fun." Al rolled his eyes as everyone laughed, besides Lan Fan, who was just smiling. Ed jumped off all, only to be attack rather playfully by a dog, she ending up on her but.

"Den, don't just jump on people like that!" yelled a blonde girl with her hair in a ponytail. She ran up and bent over, catching her breath. "I am so sorry, usually she isn't this bad, I promise! I am Winry by the way." She finished, smiling down at the girl who was now laughing and playing with the dog.

"It's nice to meet you, I am Alphonse, and that's Edlyn. And its okay, Ed loves animals." Al said, smiling down at his sister. "Hey, does Den have Automail?"

Winry beamed. "Yep, I made it myself!"

"Would you like to take a look at Ed's Automail?" Al offered.

"She has Automail?!" Winry yelled, causing Al to jump back.

"Yeah?" he said nervously.

Winry dove for the short blonde, grabbing her wrist and begun to drag her into the mansion, Den barking happily as Ed stared at Al with confusion.

"…Did I just get my sister kidnapped?" he asked, his brows furrowed.

"Yep, you sure did!" Ling said happily.

"It's normal, Winry is a machine junky." Said Russell with a sigh, shrugging.

"Why don't we go inside too? To make sure that Winry doesn't take Ed's Automail and take it apart." Everyone besides Al laughed, he worrying about his sisters safty.


	4. Meetings

**(Sorry about it being short, i am having a serious case of writers block! It's annoying, help! Give me ideas! also, i need you guys to pick who Ed ends up with! Ling or Russell? **

Winry dragged Edlyn into the large house, Ed trying to remember what room looked like what as she was pulled past them. The walls were lined with portraits of people she couldn't identify. The short blonde almost tripped multiple times from her lack of attention, especially when they started up a set of steps. Winry didn't seem to notice Ed's troubles, she just continued on merrily, wanting to see the Automail as soon as possible.

"Can you maybe, oh I don't know, tell me where were going?!" yelled Ed when she was finished looking at everything.

"To the mechanic's room!" said Winry, looking at Ed as if she were stupid.

"Why?" Ed asked; a little offended by the look she received.

"I want to see your Automail, that's why."

"Why?"

"I make Automail."

"Oh," was all Ed said after that, the rest of the trip quite.

The mechanic's room was nicely sized, all the walls having endless counters and cupboards, the cupboards only stopping twice to make room for windows. Work tables were placed about the room, different machines and tools scattered on their surfaces. The smell of oil was strong, making Edlyn wrinkle her nose. The floor was hardwood though; pointing out that this room wasn't originally made for this purpose. Of what walls were still visible, you could see that it was a nice tan color to match the floors.

By the time the others got to the mechanic's room, Ed was only wearing her tank top and a loaned pair of shorts. The blue eyed blonde was tinkering with her arm, the metal plates off to reveal the wiring. Ed looked uncomfortable; her shoulders hunched inwards, same with her legs. Al walked straight towards her, kneeling down so he could actually see her face, Ed having hid behind her bangs. Al sighed, pushing her bangs behind her ears to show that she was blushing.

"Winry, can I put pants back on know?" Ed whined, "I don't like people staring." she added, looking at the teens standing near the door.

This made Russell blush suddenly, making a beeline for the door. Fletcher scrambled after him with a concerned 'brother?' Ling laughed at Russell, already picking on him for his hasty exit. Lan Fan stayed for a moment longer, giving Ed an apologetic smile, before taking her leave.

Ed sat there confused for a second, and then looked back and forth between Winry and Al. "What was that all about? Why did he go red, is he sick?" she asked, her eyes wide with innocent concern. Al and Winry shared a look, before bursting out in laughter. "What? What's so funny?" Ed asked, pouting.

"It's nothing Ed," Al said, smiling at his sister. "…But, I might want to go and have a _talk_ with him and the others." He finished, standing up and leaving the room.

"He is a very protective brother, isn't he?" Winry asked Ed.

"Yeah, why?" said Ed, head tilted to the side.

"Oh no reason, it's just that Russell and Ling might not live to next week. Fletchers a good kid though, he'll be fine." said Winry, this just confusing Ed even more. Sighing, the short blonde gave up with trying figuring out the riddle and sat still, letting Winry continue her examination.

The others stood in a different room a few doors down; it looking like it was made to please each and every teen. The walls were lined with books, besides the one parallel to the door which had a fire place. In front of the fireplace was a fluffy red rug that had a few decorative yet comfy pillows here and there. Stacks of blankets were at the rugs edge, showing that that spot was used often. Since they were still on the second floor, there were windows on the sides of the fireplace giving a nice view of the back garden. In the middle of the room were a few desks, and each one had its own lamp. The room was very large, so there was still plenty of room to the right for an island which looked to house snacks if the food on the counter was anything to show. In the same spot to the left was a reading area with four couches that made a square, the corners far away enough for people to get through.

Though the room had plenty of space, most of the occupants were near the door. Ling and Lan Fan stood in the doorway, Ling, for once, serious. Russell and Fletcher were in a few feet, and Al was standing in front of all of them, his eyes having yet to leave Russell. Lan Fan looked slightly amused, knowing what was to come. Finally, Al heaved a sigh, uncrossing his arms as he shoved them into his pockets.

"I don't think I really need to tell you to stay away from Ed, she does know how to take care of herself. But, she tends to be naïve in the relationship department. If I catch any of you taking advantage of her naiveté, then I think you should wish farewell to your safety, or lives for that matter." Al said, his gaze mainly going between Ling and Russell. Though gaze seemed like the understatement of the century. It was more like the stare from hell, Ling going as far to think he saw flames in Al's pupils. "Get it? Got it? Good," was how he finished, putting on a smile. He then simply started looking at the book selection, his arms once again crossed.

"God damn, all I did was blush and the older brother gives me a lecture." growled Russell, him going to his usual desk.

"Ha! So you admit that you blushed?" crowed Ling, giving a triumphant smirk.

"Oh shut up, the lecture wasn't for me only you know!" said Russell as he sat down.

"But brother, Alphonse was looking at you most of the time." Fletcher pointed out, not helping his sibling in the slightest.

"Be quite! You're supposed to defend your brother in times like these!" cried Russell.

"In times like what?" came a voice from behind Ling, causing everyone to look towards the door besides Al, he out of hearing range. There stood Ed, she back in her normal attire.

"Nothing," Russell replied hastily.

"He lies; we were talking about the times when a man gets feelings for certain-" Ling cut himself off to dodge a flying book, the thrower glowering at the smirking teen.

"…I don't think I want to know anymore." said Ed, she walking past Ling and Lan Fan to stand next to her brother, now looking at the books with him. Everything went quite once she was gone, though the tension wasn't gone. Ling was smirking at Russell while Russell glared at him.

"Al! Look, they have 'Alchemy, the Theories of Combining Metal'! It has been sold out for like, ever!" squealed a now excited Edlyn. She grabbed the book and ran to the desk that was in front of Russell's, sat down and began to read. Alphonse laughed quietly, shooting a caring gaze at her before he put the book he was looking at back on the shelf.

"Well, she won't be amongst the living until she has finished that book, so I am going to go and see Winry and ask what she found out about Ed's Automail." With that, Al left the room, a smile on his face.

"What do you think he meant about 'amongst the living'?" asked Fletcher, he staring at Ed's back.

Ling shrugged while walking towards her, observing how absorbed she was in the book. He poked her shoulder, waiting for her reaction. Nothing happened. "Well, for one, I don't think she can even hear us." Ling stated.

"Bug off and stop poking me, I'm not deaf. I just want to read, so go away." said Ed, her eyes never leaving the book.

The blond across from her gave a snort, Russell shaking his head as he started writing on the papers he pulled out of a drawer. Ling shrugged and grabbed Lan Fan's wrist, stating that they were going to the training room that was in the basement. The younger Tringham went to the desk beside Russell's as he also started working.

Besides Alex Louis Armstrong the rest of the house's owners weren't home, so the teens just ate from the snack counter, the maids having brought up sandwiches. They now all sat in the couch square, eating different kind's snacks. Al sat on one side of a couch with Winry to his left; Ed sat on the floor in between Al's feet. On the couch parallel to the Elric's and Rockbell sat the Tringhams. Then to Al's right, the couch had Ling and Lan Fan, and on the last couch sat the newly introduced Mei Chang and Rose.

It was still too quite, everyone a little tense. Besides Ling of course, he thought it was kind of funny. Everyone looked to Edlyn as she gave a groan and stood up, putting her hands on her hips. "Why is everyone being all depressing? Is this what it's normally like here? That's boring. I am going to ask Armstrong to show me around the city, so if any of you want to get off your butts and join me, come on!" she huffed, starting to stomp out of the room. Al and Winry shared a look, along with Rose and Mei, and then all four of them got up and followed the blonde in her quest to find Alex.

"Well, shall we join them Lan Fan?" Ling asked her, raising one brow. Lan Fan nodded and they too went after the others. That only left the two brothers. Russell sighed and stood up.

"We might as well go too." he said, happy that that made Fletcher smile.

Once Fletcher and Russell caught up with them at the main entrance, they saw Armstrong chasing Ed with his arms open for the second time that day. What was different though was after a few moments; she stopped and turned towards him. She braced herself, and let him give her a hug. He started crying harder, claiming that she had a heart of gold. Once she was on the ground again, ling had to open his mouth.

"So her heart matches her hair and eyes?" said Ling, smirking when her face went a little pink. The smirk vanished though when he saw Al's warning glare.

Ed huffed, crossing her arms and looking to the side to hide her blush. "Can we just go and look around central now?"

They had a fun time walking around and looking at all the buildings. The streets were lit up by the street lights and stores, making Ed's hair glow, which didn't go unnoticed by Ling and Russell. The two plus Al also noticed all the other admirers. Without even talking to one another, they ended up making a shield. Al was in the back, Ling and Russell on the sides, and the others in the front.

"Ooh! Let's go in here!" called out Winry, Rose and Mei quickly agreeing. The mechanic went to the back and once again grabbed Ed's wrist, dragging her into a clothing store. The boys groaned while Armstrong said he would pay, herding everyone into the store. The guys found a bench near the changing rooms to sit at while the others looked around. Except for Ed, who was standing their awkwardly, looking around with wide eyes. She walked over to Alphonse and bent down to talk into his ear.

"Do we have to stay here? Everything's all, all, ya know, frilly and-" she gave a shudder, "pink." She finished in a disgusted voice, wrinkling her nose. Ling gave a cry and glomped the blonde, rubbing his cheek on her head again.

"She is so cute! Her and her tomboyness is just adorable!" Before Al could get mad, Ling started dragging her to the dress section. "We are going to get you to wear a dress, and I won't take no for an answer! I am sure that the girls will help me." He stated in a matter of fact tone.

Ed spluttered in horror, shaking her head hastily. "No! I hate dresses! Nooooo let me goooo! Help, ack, no dresses!" That got the other girls' attention, and Ling was in fact correct, for they all rushed over and started pulling her towards the dresses.

"Green would totally match her eyes and hair; it needs to be a mossy green!" Winry said.

"But she also looks good in red, see how her cloak matches her skin complexion?" said Mei as she plucked at Ed's hood.

"Well I think it should be black, it would make her eyes and hair pop out even more than they already do." was Rose's statement.

"She should were something gold." said Lan Fan simply.

"Hey, why not just make her try on all of those colors?" suggested Ling, much to the chagrin of Ed.

"Wait, don't I get a say in this?!" yelled Ed.

"No." is what they all said in unison.

Al, Fletcher, Russell and Armstrong couldn't see any of this, but they sure did hear it, and they all had to laugh at all the yelling Ed was doing. After a while of loud arguing, they finally started pushing the short blonde towards the changing room and guys, each girl holding a few dresses. Even ling had some, he still smirking.

"Come on guys, that has to be, like, a thousand dresses! It's already dark out, we don't have time for this!" said Ed, she digging her heels into the ground with Winry and Mei pushing her.

"Nonsense, I will persuade the shop employees to stay longer! The art of persuasion has been passed down the Armstrong family for generations!" Alex yelled, his shirt suddenly gone as he stood up and walked to the check out area, his muscles flexing.

Everyone had stopped at that, Ed still leaning back into the two girls. She looked at Winry with a blank face. "He won't persuade them to stay open; he will scare them into it."

"Yes, you're right. But you still have to try the dresses on." The struggling started all over again, the boys trying hard not to laugh at both the girls and the fact that they could hear Armstrong 'persuading' the employees.

After a while of the girls being in the dressing room, arguing and Ed yelling could soon be heard again.

"Hell no, I am not going out there in _this_!" Ed shouted before being harshly pushed out of the curtained area. She stumbled over her own feet for a moment before straightening back up. Ed turned to start yelling again, but stopped when she noticed the stares. All the boys were staring at her, Fletchers face a bright red.

Ed was wearing bright red dress that flowed silkily down to her knees. It had a small belt that sat on one hip and laid on her other thigh. The top was like a tank top, but had a jacket with see through sleeves that went to her wrists. The girls had changed her hair into a loose side pony tail. The Automail only added to the effect, twinkling in the light as she stood there awkwardly.

Al grabbed Ling's shirt collar right before he started hugging Ed again, he smiling at her. "Wow sister, you look great."

Ed's face went even redder as she stammered out a 'thanks'. She then dashed back into the dressing room, leaving Al to deal with a pouting Ling.

"Aw, why did you stop me?" Ling whined, looking like a kicked puppy.

"That's my little sister, haven't I already talked to you about this?" Al replied with a glare. Al then looked at the other boys, Russell was staring into space with wide eyes, he facing where Ed had been. Fletchers face still resembled a tomato, he hunching his shoulders in while looking at his lap. Al could understand Fletchers reaction, but he was a bit confused as to why Russell looked so shocked.

After a few more dresses that only the girls got to see Ed in, the short blonde was dead on her feet.


	5. AN

**Hi guy's, I am sorry to say that I have run out of love for this story...I will give you the option to adopt it, just pm me! I might continue this at a later date, but it depends on how I feel and if anyone feels the need that I do.**


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